Tape moving mechanism



July 2, 1935. V s. ROLLNICK ET AL TAPE MOVING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 28,1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W Mo l/" 3 July 2, 1935. G. ROLLNICK ET AL TAPEMOVING MECHANI SM Filed Aug. 28, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 Patented July2, 1935 D S ATES TAPE MOVING. M onANisM George ltollnick and LeoFriendQLos' Angeles; cane ApplicationAugust 2s,

4 Claims.

: i This invention relates to mechanisms for intermittently shifting atape, or other elongated elementa predetermined distance on eachmovement. and has particular application I in auto- 5 matic calendarmechanisms in which aseries of calendars corresponding to successivedays of the year are printed on a tape positioned back ofa window andthe tape shifted automatically I at the end of each day to bring a newcalendar into 'egistration with the window. 7 t

A broad object of the'invention is-to provide a'tape shiftingmeohanismthat is simple and rugged in constructionrelatiizelyinexpensive to 1 manufacture, and is accurate and reliable in o a qn-Otherobjects and-features of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description which refers to the drawings.

Inthe drawings:

l isa front elevational view of a combined J clock and automaticcalendar in accordance with the invention; i c I r I I I Fig. 2 is afront elevational View of theclock from the case; Fig. 3 is a plan viewof the mechanism as it appears w remo d f m h a I Fig. V4 is a rearelevation view of the mechanism as it appears when removed fromthe case;

Fig. 5 is a detail view,- partly insection, taken in the plane V V of-Fig. 2;

Fig. dis a detail view of'a portion of the mech anism taken in theplaneVIVI of Fig. 2;

Fig. '7 is a detail view taken in theplane s VIIVII of Fig. 2 a 1;

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit employed in themechanism; and

'Fig. 9 is a detailperspective view of thecontact mechanism" actuated bythe clock for controllingthe movement of the calendar. v Referring firstto Fig. lyWe have shown a combination, clock and automatic calendarcomprisin a; casing I having a window 2, through which the face 3, of aclock appears and a window 4, through which-a calendar .5- appears, theclock and calendar mechanisms being contained Within th .35.

Referring served that the calendars 5, there, being one for each day ofthe year, are printed successively on tape 6 which unwinds from a feedspool :1, passes throug'hchannel guide meml}, -whic"h overlap the edgesof tape and suppoijtthe tape in a desired plane back of the I i was btwe n a erirje ed; l r-" and automatic calendar mechanism removed.

now to Figs. Sand 5, it will be ob- I "1934, Serial No. 741,806 (or.49-42) 9 and I0-,.respec tively-, and from the feed rollers to a take-upspool H which is supportedrear- Wardly of the rollerss and I 0.

The feed spool 1 is supported at its left end (withreference to Fig. 2)by a stub shaft I2- having aconical point which engages a conical recessin the end of the spool. The shaft l2 is supported in a hole inthe framemember l3 and isnormally locked in position by a set screw M.- ,Theright end of the spool 1 issupported we 10 shaft 16 which enters a holeprovided therefor in. the right endaof the spool. To prevent relativerotation between the spool l and shaft I 6, the latter is provided witha, cross pin l'lv which engages in grooves provided therefor in thespool end. Shaft I6 is rotatably supportedin a;journal Ila and] also in.a journal Hi, the end of the shaft projectingthrough the case i andhaving a knob l5 on the end thereof as shownin FlgQ 1. Shaft I6 isnormally maintained in. the aperture in the spoollby a helical spring lllpositioned therearound and compressed between a. collar 20 on theshaftandthe inner face of the journal 18. However, thespool 7 may bereadily released to permit; insertionof a new spool having a new Ycalendar thereon by merely retracting the shaft l6 against. the tensionof spring l9 sufficiently to Withdraw the end of the shaft from theaperture in the'end of the spool.

- The tape fl is normally; moved upwardly through 0 the-guides 8 at theend of each day by the feed rol ers 9 and it which are automaticallyactuated atthe end of each day. The mechanism for actuating-the rollersQ and Ill comprises a pair of gears 2t and 12! mounted on the. ends ofthe 3 5 shafts supporting r'ollersfl and ill, respectively, which meshwitheach other and one of which,

' namely, .gear zi, meshes with a sector gear 22. The sectorgear 22 iskeyed to a shaft 23 rotatably supported in bearing members 24 and 25,respec- 4 tively. ",Shaft'23 also has keyed thereto a worm wheel 25which meshes with a Worm 2 1 on a shaft Ed which shaft is also providedat its lower end 1 with a worm wheel 29 meshing with a worm 30 on ahorizontally disposed shaft L, Shaft 28..is 5 rotatably mounted atitsupper and lower ends in suitable hearing members and shaft 3! islikewise supported at its outer ends in suitable bearing members. Shaft3| is provided with a worm wheel 32 which meshes with a worm 33 on theshaft 34 of anelectric motor 35. V The'number' of teeth in the sectorgear 22 isso chosen relative to the number of teeth inv the gears Hand2i and the diameter of the rollers 9 and ill as to shift the tap'e'fithrough the distance it is actuated by the crank pin 31.

2 r necessary to bring a new calendar into registration with the window4 in response to one rotation of the sector gear 22 with respect to thegear 2|. A mechanism is therefore provided for starting the motor torotate the sector gear 22 through substantially one complete revolutionat the end of each day. This result is achieved by operating the motor35 under the joint control of the clock 3 and the shaft 23 on which thesector gear 22 is mounted.

Thus referring to Figs. 4 and 9, it will be observed that the hour handshaft of the clock 3 is provided on its rear end with a crank arm 36having a crank pin 31 projecting therefrom, which crank pin engages witha tooth of a gear wheel 38 once during each revolution of the hour handof the clock and shifts the gear 38 the distance between successiveteeth thereon. Gear 39 has 24 teeth so that it is intermittently rotatedat such intervals as to complete a revolution during 24 revolutions ofthe hour hand, or in other words, once each 24-hour day. The gear 38 hasattached thereto and projecting therefrom (in line with one of the teethof the gear) a cam 39 which engages, once during each revolution of gear38, with the end of a contact lever 4|! which is insulatingly pivotallysupported at its other end. A detent spring 4| is provided to preventreverse motion of the gear 38 and to act as a friction brake to preventit moving through a distance greater than the pitch distance each time Alight leaf spring 42 is also provided for urging the lever toward thecam 39 and for providing electrical connection with the contact lever4|). Lever 40 when in normal position rests against the back contact 43which is insulatingly'supported and when elevated by the cam 39 breakscontact 43 and makes with a top contact 44.

Thecontact mechanism, including the back contact 43, the contact lever40 and the contact 44, functions to start the electric motor 35 at theend 'of ,each day in response to closure of the contact lever 40 withthe contact 44. To this end, the gear 39 is initially turned into such aposition with respect to the setting of the hands of the clock 3 thatthe cam 39 lifts the lever 40 substantially at midnight of each day;

To stop the electric motor 35, a contact mechanism actuated by the shaft23 is provided. This mechanism comprises a bifurcated brush 45 mountedon the left end of shaft 23 (with reference to Fig. 2) for rotationtherewith and adapted to ride over a pair of arcuate contact segments 46and 41, respectively. The brush 45 is so oriented with respect to thesegments 46 and 41 and the sectoral gear 22 on the other end of shaft 23that the brush leaves the segment 46 shortly after the sector gear 22passes out of mesh with the gear 2|. and closes on segment 46 shortlybefore the sector gear 22 again meshes with gear 2 I Referring now tothe circuit diagram of Fig. 8,

it will be observed that the motor 35 is connected between the frame ofthe mechanism indicated by the ground symbol 48 and one side of anenergizing line 49 (which may be 110-volt light circuit). The other sideof the line 49 is connected directly to the contact lever 40. The backcontact 43 is connected to the short segment 41 and the upper contact 44is connected with the long segment 46.

The device operates-as follows:

Assume that the sector gear 22 is out of mesh with the gear 2|, as shownin Fig. 7, and. that the brush'45 is closed on the segment 46 but is outof contact with segment 41, as shown in Fig. 6. Next assume that thetime is approximately midnight and that the cam 39 is slowly shiftingthe contact lever 4|] upwardly as gear 38 is rotated by the crank pin 31on the crank 36 of the hour hand shaft of the clock. When lever 40closes on the top contact 44, a circuit is completed from ground throughthe brush 45, the segment 46, the top contact 44 and the contact lever40 to the energizing line 49, thereby completing a circuit through themotor 35 which beginsto rotate, thereby driving the sector gear 22which, after a short initial rotation, meshes with the gear 2| androtates the rollers 9 and Ill to shift the tape sufliciently to bring anew calendar into view. (At the same time that the tape is shifted byrollers 9 and III, the take-up spool II is rotated to wind up the slacktape through a flexible belt 50 which couples a pulley 5| on the spoolII with a pulley 52 on the shaft of the lower roller I0). The motorcontinues to operate until the sector gear 22 has left the gear 2| andtraveled a sufficient distance therefrom to carry the brush 45 clear ofsegment 46 but into contact with segment 41.

The operation of the mechanism to shift the tape and perform the otherfunctions mentioned requires only a relatively short time and iscompleted long before the cam 39 has been moved sufficiently to'releasethe contact lever 40. However, after the lapse of an interval of timethe cam 39 moves past the projecting end of lever 40, permitting thelatter to be snapped into lowermost position against the back contact 43by the spring 42. contact with segment 41, closure of the contact lever40 on the back contact 43 completes another energizing circuit for themotor through segment 41 and brush 45. The motor thereupon starts androtates the sector gear 22 into its original position in which thebrush-45 is again closed on segment 46 but is carried clear of segment41. Of course, as soon as the brush 45 leaves the segment 41 theoperating circuit for the motor end through the back contact 41 andcontact lever 4|) is opened, thereby stopping the motor whch does notstart again until the closure of the contact lever 40 on the top contact44 at the end of the next day.

A particular advantage of the mechanism described is that the distancethrough which the calendar tape is shifted upon each operation is notdependent upon the exact position in which the motor is stopped. Thiswill be readily seen from the fact that the motor is always started andstopped while the sector gear 22 is out of mesh with the gear 2|. Inother words, after the motor has once been started by closure of thecontact lever 40 on the top contact 44, the motor continues to run untilthe sector gear 22 has moved completely past the gear 2|. This is ofgreat practical advantage because it is difficult to devise a simple andpracticable contact system that will stop an electric motor exactly in apredetermined position on every operation. Our device shifts the tapethe same distance each day to a high degree of accuracy because of thefact that the distance moved is dependent primarily upon the arcuatelength of the sector gear 22.

Obviously, the circuit connections may be modified so that the shortsegment 41 is connected to the top contact 44 and the'long segment 46 isconnected to the bottom contact 43, the only difference in the operationbeing that Since the brush 45 was left in the calendar is not shifteduntil the contact lever' 40 closes on the back contact 43 following itsinitial closure on the top contact 44.

We prefer to employ an electric clock actuated from the same lightingcircuit as that employed to drive the motor 35. However, this is notessential and a spring motor driven clock may be employed equally well.

To permit setting of the calendar, the shaft 60 of the take-up spool IIis extendedthrough the left side of the case and a knob 6| provided onthe end of the shaft, as shown in Fig. 1. By turning the knob 6|, thecalendar tape may be advanced. Likewise, by turning the knob l5,connected to the feed spool l, the tape maybe'retracted.

Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to anautomatic calendar, the application of the tape moving mechanism toother fields will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and theinvention is therefore to be limited only as set forth in the appendedclaims.

We claim:

1. A mechanism for intermittently shifting a tape through a fixedpredetermined distance comprising a feed roller to drive the tape, agearpositively coupled to the roller for simultaneous rotation therewith, asector gear positioned to mesh with said first gear for driving thelatter, said sector gear being normally in a position of rotation out ofmesh with said first gear, and means for intermittently rotating saidsector gear through approximately one revolution whereby said roller isrotated through exactly the same are on each movement independent of theexact arc of rotation of the sector gear during that movement.

2. In a device of the type described, a mechanism for feeding the tapethrough a fixed predetermined distance comprising a feed roller adaptedto drive said tape, a gear positively coupled to said roller forsimultaneous rotation therewith, a sector gear positioned to mesh withsaid first gear for driving the latter, said sector gear being normallyin such position of rotation that it is out of mesh with said firstgear, an electric motor positively coupled to said sector gear forrotating it, means for energizing said motor to rotate said sector gearpast said first gear to drive the latter through a fixed distancedetermined by the peripheral length of said gear sector, an energizingcircuit for said motor, switch means for closing said energizing circuitand other switch means responsive to rotation of said sector gear foropening said circuit in response to rotation of said sector gear pastsaid first gear.

3. In a device of the type described, a mechanism for feeding the tapethrough a fixed predetermined distance comprising a feed roller adaptedto drive said tape, a gear positively coupled to said roller forsimultaneous rotation therewith, a sector gear positioned ,to mesh withsaid first gear for driving the latter, said sector gear being normallyin such position of rotation that it is out of mesh with said firstgear, an electric motor positively coupled to said sector gear forrotating it, means for energizing said motor to rotate said sector gearpast said first gear to drive the latter through a fixed distancedetermined by the peripheral length of said gear sector, means forenergizing said motor including a source of current, a master switchhaving a back contact, a front contact and a movable contact normallyclosed on said back contact, and an auxiliary switch means actuated inresponse to movement of said sector gear for completing a circuit fromsaid source through said motor to said front contact and movable contactof said master switch while said sector gear is in driving relation withsaid firstgear and for completing a second circuit from said sourcethrough said motor to said back contact and movable contact of saidmaster switch while said sector gear is out of mesh with said firstgear.

4. In a device of the type described, a mechnism for feeding the tapethrough a fixed predetermined distance comprising a feed roller adaptedto drive said tape, a gear positively coupled to said roller forsimultaneous rotation therewith a sector gear positioned to mesh withsaid first gear for driving the latter, said sector gear being normallyin such position of rotation that it is out of mesh with said firstgear, an electric motor positively coupled to said sector gear forrotating it, means for energizing said motor to 1'0 tate said sectorgear past said first gear to drive the latter through a fixed distancedetermined by the peripheral length of said gear sector, means forenergizing said motor including a source of current, a master switchhaving a pair of contacts and a third contact movable into contact witheithercontact of said pair of contacts, and auxiliary switch meansactuated in response to movement of said sector gear for completing acircuit from said source thro-ughsaid motor to said third contact andone of said pair of contacts of said master switch while said sectorgear is in a predetermined portion of its arc of rotation greater thanand including that portion of its arc in which said sector gear is inmesh with said first gear, and for completing a second circuit from saidsource. through said motor to said third contact and the other of saidpair of contacts, respectively, of said master switch While said sectorgear is in a portion of its arc of rotation connecting and overlappingthe ends of said predetermined portion.

GEORGE ROLLNICK. LEO FRIEND.

